A New Life
by SavedByGrace82514
Summary: A New Life...a chance to leave behind all that he had done and who he had been. A chance to forget and begin anew. What lengths was he willing to go when a man whom he had seen die comes back into his life? How will he cope? Begins before Jake's transfer and continues from there. Rated M for violence and suggested themes. A Son from Another Life and Survival are blended into this.
1. Chapter 1

A New Life (Jake and Neytiri and Norm)

With the RDA leaving, Jake could finally be with the people he loved.  
The Omaticaya, the Blue Flute Clan, had given him the option to be  
transferred to his Na'vi body for good. No more link chamber and no  
more human body. He had thought about it for a long time. While going  
into his Na'vi body was the greatest adventure of all, it was not a  
thing to be taken lightly. Even though he had already given himself  
over to Eywa, there was still a part of him that wanted to remain  
human. But that part was dwarfed by the part that loved Neytiri and  
the Omaticaya. He finally decided that he would accept the offer. Then  
a familiar voice broke him out of his reprieve.  
" Hey Jake? You ready to go yet? You know how irritated Neytiri gets  
when you keep her waiting especially with something this important."  
" Yeah. Norm, I know. I was just saying goodbye to this place one last  
time. After spending all my time here I feel kind of attached to the  
place."  
" Well," Norm Spellman said walking over to the link chamber beside  
Jake, "You know it's still going to be in use right? I'm still here  
even though a couple of the other drivers are going to have to help me  
sit upright."  
Norm's avatar had been damaged in the great battle that had taken  
place the week prior. His avatar had been shot twice in the shoulder  
and chest. He would be weak for a while but other than that he would  
be fine.  
" I'm surprised," Jake said," that you are taking your Avatar out."  
" Yeah, well it needs to eat and exercise so I can get my strength  
back."  
" Well, don't go overexerting yourself. I don't want you collapsing on  
me. That would be very bad."  
" At least I'll have Tanhí to catch me if I do faint."  
" Yeah. I noticed that you and her have been somewhat attached."  
" Jake, she lost her mate to the RDA. It was only because of her did  
my avatar survive. When she found it, it was close to death. That's  
why I was ejected from it. All of the avatars have a built in safety  
system. If they are close to death and you are linked up it will  
automatically eject you back into your own body to protect you from  
the shock of dying. I'm just glad she found me. Otherwise I would have  
to wait another six years for an avatar. And well I want to be with  
her and she wants to be with me. What more do you have to know?"  
" Have you guys… you know…" Jake asked laughing.  
Norm looked away then looked back with a red face.  
" You didn't, do you?"  
" Uh. Yes, we did."  
" You know you can't leave her now. You are mated for life."  
" I know. But why would I? I love her and she loves me."  
" That's how Neytiri and I are. I love her and she loves me. Am I going  
to need to buy cigars soon or what?"  
" Well, er, yes, actually. She told me earlier today. She says it's a  
boy. Don't ask me how but I actually felt him too. When we were bonded  
I could feel him. Like he was actually right there in my arms."  
" I'll take your word on that for the moment but only for the moment,"  
Jake said with a mischievous grin on his face.  
" Well we should get going. I'll see you there. I'm going to be in  
avatar form."  
" Okay I'll be looking for you. Neytiri said she was coming to get me  
soon so I should get going too. I have to meet her at the East Gate."  
" Alright. See you soon."  
" Yeah, you too."  
Norm slipped into his link unit and shut the top. The pattern on the  
display showed his brain waves lining up to his avatar somewhere out  
in the jungle.  
Once Jake made sure Norm was properly linked up, he wheeled himself  
down the corridors of Hell's Gate. A sense of nostalgia settled over  
him as he went past the bio-lab. He thought he could almost imagine  
Grace standing there over her microscope. Then he remembered Quaritch  
had shot and killed her during their escape.  
He continued on until he came to an airlock that led out towards the  
East Gate. Even from a distance he could see Neytiri standing beside a  
direhorse. From this distance he could just make out her outline. He  
put on an exopack and cycled the airlock.  
As he approached Neytiri he could see she was very wary around all  
this technology. She kept looking around like someone was going to  
jump out and attack her.  
" No one's left on base besides those loyal to the Na'vi," Jake said  
coming up from behind her.  
" I know, my love," Neytiri said," but I'm still going to be cautious.  
I do not like all this machinery."  
" I know you don't. Listen this is the last time I'll be here in this  
body. After this ceremony I'll be with you in my Na'vi body and we  
will be together forever."  
" I wait for that day. Now let's go. We must not keep sa'nok waiting.  
For you it is a grand night. Tonight you will be reborn Omaticaya."  
Neytiri helped him onto her direhorse then started at a brisk pace.  
They traveled for most of the day until the Well of Souls came into  
view. It was dark when they arrived.  
" You will have to carry me. I can't walk."  
" Do not worry. I will take care of you now and forever."  
" And I you."  
Neytiri placed him in her arms then walked down into the crowd of  
waiting Na'vi. They parted and let her walk up onto the dais that lies  
in front of the Tree of Souls.  
She laid Jake down opposite his Avatar then grabbed his hand. Her  
mother and Tsahik of the Omaticaya, Mo'at, started chanting a prayer  
to Eywa after a moment of silence. Thin tendrils came up from the  
ground to caress Jake. Most of them centered on the base of his  
neck. The same happened to his Avatar except the tendrils connected  
with his queue.  
Jake had been staring into Neytiri's eyes until his eyes started to  
dim. His breathing became labored even though he had his exopack on. A  
chill had begun to creep over his body. His last thoughts were of  
Neytiri before the world around him went pure white. In an instant  
though he realized he was standing on the shore of a lake with a  
brilliantly bright tree on the other side. As he surveyed his new  
surroundings he realized that he was dead. Just then a voice broke him  
out of his reprieve.  
" Long time, no see marine."  
He turned around quickly to find the speaker.  
" Grace? How are you still here?"  
" Remember I'm technically not dead yet. I live on in Eywa. My soul  
and consciousness were absorbed by her. I have her promise that  
someday soon I will return fully Na'vi but I don't know how. Enough of  
me though. That is what I was supposed to tell you. Also Eywa blesses  
you and your entire line. You will be prosperous as leader of the  
Omaticaya. You will have many children. Another thing. You will have  
an exceptionally long life. Again that is all I have for you. Now I  
won't keep you any longer. Your mate is expecting you. One more thing.  
If you find this place where we are now then you will find me."  
Jake's vision started to blur and before he could ask Grace what she  
meant he was, from the feel and sound of it, in his Avatar body. He  
could feel Neytiri's hand on his cheek gently rubbing it and calling  
his name.  
" Jake, my Jake," she said.  
He slowly opened his eyes to see his mate leaning over him, her face  
filling his vision.  
" I see you," he said in Na'vi.  
" I see you," she replied with tears of joy streaming down her face.  
She helped him sit into an upright position. He then looked around and  
saw his human body lying dead only a few feet away from him. Mo'at  
began to speak then. She walked over and pulled Jake to his feet.  
" People, I give you JakeSully, our new olo'eyktan. I ask you have we  
chosen well."  
A chorus of cheers and shouts went up from the assembled Omaticaya.  
After a few minutes it died down. The People then began to disperse  
back to their individual camps.  
" Come, my Jake," Neytiri said after the greater part of the Omaticaya  
people had dispersed "I have a good night planned."  
" I'm cool with that." he said. " Where are we going to?"  
" Be quiet and follow."  
Jake then gave up and followed her without question. It was only near  
the end of their journey did he realize where they were going. Neytiri  
had found another Tree of Voices. It was just like the one Quaritch  
had destroyed. She had shown it to him but one other time before. Here  
was where they were going. And in going there he knew what she meant  
by a good night.  
As soon as they were in reach of the branches, they started to hear  
the voices of ancestors long gone. Neytiri had stopped and was facing  
Jake. She held up the end of her queue in a suggesting manner. Jake  
grabbed his queue and presses it to hers. He shuddered at the joining  
of their bodies on such a subconscious level. She reached up and began  
kissing him. He picked her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs  
around his waist. Then he fell onto his back in the soft moss that  
grew there sending out waves of light as the two melted into a love so  
deep it could only be described as an abyss.


	2. Chapter 2

Destiny (Jake and Neytiri and Norm)  
Norm and Tanhí watched the festivities from a distance. They decided  
that Norm had been too weak to take part in any activity besides  
sitting and walking. He saw Jake and Neytiri go off into the bush away  
from the Well of Souls.  
" Wonder where they are going?" Norm said. " As if I didn't know."  
" I believe I know also," Tanhí added. "If you were feeling better I  
would ask you to do the same."  
Norm smiled up at his mate and motioned for her to come closer. Once  
she was at eyelevel with him, he reached up and stroked her cheek. She  
leaned in further and he kissed her.  
" I know you would, my love." he said. "Give me another couple of  
weeks and I'll be feeling better. Then and only then. I would ask you  
for Tsahaylu but my pain would transfer over into you. I do not want  
to put you through that. It would be harsh and cruel of me."  
" But not if I do it willingly," she said grabbing his queue and  
connecting it with hers.  
Norm shuddered at the contact and instantaneously felt his pain in his  
shoulder and chest lessen. He realized she was dampening the pain with  
her mind. He reached up and felt the two spots where the 30  
millimeter GAU Cannons had ripped through his shoulder and chest. Max  
had stitched him up and told him to take it easy. But he could not  
take it easy with a mate like Tanhí. The first night he had linked  
back, he ripped all the stitches out. Take a guess how.  
Anyway that's beside the point. Norm looked at his mate and almost,  
almost wished he was a strong warrior of the Omaticaya. But no. He had  
thought long and hard about that. He would have never met Tanhí if he  
would have been a warrior. She probably never would have found him and  
cared for him.  
After a while he looked over at his mate. She was sleeping on him, her  
head propped up against his chest. He reached over and disconnected  
their queues. He did not want to take a chance on what could happen if  
they stayed connected when he went back to Hell's Gate. He did not  
have the luxury of staying in his Avatar, like Jake did. But that  
would be changing soon. Once Norm was trained in the ways of the  
Omaticaya, he would be given the same choice as Jake was given. Only  
for Norm, it wouldn't be a choice. He had already decided to embrace  
Eywa and the Omaticaya. How could he not? He had Tanhí and she was all  
he needed.

Jake turned in his sleep under the Tree of Voices only to find Neytiri  
gone. He awoke with a start to find that it was already mid-day.  
Looking around Jake suddenly realized he was not alone. A figure leap  
from the tree and landed right on top of him. He rolled over trying to  
pin his captor. Once he had pinned his would be killer, only then did  
he realize it was Neytiri. She was smiling up at him as he straddled  
her.  
" You learn quickly," she said.  
He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth. She stayed in the kiss for  
three minutes. When they finally pulled away from each other, they  
were sweating and their hearts were beating fast from lack of oxygen.  
" We should probably go back," Jake said. " They will be looking for  
us."  
" Yes," Neytiri said. "Besides sa'nok will want to speak to you, now  
that you are one of us."  
He removed himself from on top of her and slowly stood up. She  
extended her hand and he helped her up. They walked hand in hand and  
tail in tail back to the Well of Souls.  
As they neared the camp of the Omaticaya, they started to see many  
people. They acknowledged his presence simply by saying, "Toruk Makto."  
" I need to go find Norm." Jake said. "I told him I would find him  
last night after my transfer but I kind of forgot. He'll probably be mad  
at me."  
Jake found Norm lounging with Tanhí near the outer ring of the Well of  
Souls. Norm was sitting propped up against a rock. He looked, to Jake,  
pale and weak. Jake was worried that the prior nights festivities were  
too much for his friend.  
As Jake approached Norm made to get up.  
" Don't my friend," Jake said. "You aren't looking so hot. Just stay  
seated. We can talk like this."  
" Yeah. I'm hurting more than usual. I had Tanhí check the stitches. A  
couple had torn out. She replaced them and put some kind of pain  
killer on them. It's taking most of the pain away but some of it still  
remains."  
" I thought I told you to take it easy," Jake said. "Max said you  
have to take it easy. He said those stitches won't hold out under any  
additional stress other than walking. But knowing you," he looked at  
Tanhí," you couldn't resist could you?"  
" No. I couldn't," Norm said with a smile. " So what's it like being  
Mr. Permanent Avatar?"  
" It's wild. I mean I can see, feel, hear, and taste so many more  
things now that it is permanent. I, I, can't even begin to explain it.  
And, before you ask any other questions, have I something to tell you.  
Norm, I saw Grace."  
" What? How? When?"  
" When I was transferred. She said we would see her again. Don't ask me  
how but she said we would have to find her to see her again. I saw her  
under a massive glowing tree. Much like the tree at the center here.  
But it was different. It was bigger and had an overwhelming  
consciousness. I believe if we find this tree, we find the focal point  
of Eywa on Pandora."  
" That would be amazing. I mean to have Grace back. I still miss her.  
Hey, what happened to her Avatar? Remember it was gone after you gave  
your speech."  
" Yeah. It was gone, wasn't it? I don't know what happened to it."  
" O well. If it is still alive, I could probably track it. All the  
Avatars have trackers in so if they were injured we could go get them."  
" Check on it when you go back tonight if you're not too tired. I  
would like to find this tree and Grace."  
" I know so would I? I'll look into it. Keep that radio open to  
channel 4 tonight. If I find anything I'll radio you. Then I'll send  
all the info to my back-up computer. I keep it here so I can monitor  
all the autonomous systems in Hell's Gate that pertain to the areas  
of living for all the remaining people there. Do you remember how to  
use it?"  
" Yeah. I do. At least I think I remember."  
" I will have a video link up on that radio so I can talk you through  
it if you need help."  
" Thanks. That's a big help. Well, I got to go. I wanted to tell you  
that and to see how you were doing. I have a meeting with the mother-  
in-law."  
" Ah. Have fun. I'll be in touch."  
Jake stood and walked away from Norm and Tanhí. He leapt down ring by  
ring until he was on the floor of the Well of Souls. From there he  
made his way towards the tree that grew there. Mo'at and Neytiri were  
standing there waiting for him.  
" I see you," Jake said in Na'vi to Mo'at.  
" I see you, JakeSully," she replied. "I can tell something troubles  
you. Speak your mind."  
' Dang, she's good,' he thought.  
" Well, when I was transferred to this body during the transition I was  
by a lake with a huge tree on the opposite shore. But that didn't  
alarm me. I felt like someone was watching me so I turned around and  
there was Grace."  
" You mean Dr. Augustine?" Neytiri asked.  
" Yes, it was her. Alive as if she was standing here. Anyway she told  
me I would meet her again. She said she hadn't really died. And, to be  
honest, she didn't truly die. She was absorbed by Eywa. Also, if you  
remember, Grace's Avatar went missing after my speech. I believe Eywa  
took it to this place and Grace is there alive. It's just a matter of  
finding the place. Norm said that all of our Avatars have trackers in.  
He said he can possibly track it. After that we may find her. And this  
tree. It was unlike any tree I had ever seen. I believe it to be the  
focal point of Eywa's power on the planet as a whole."  
" There is an old legend that speaks of this," Mo'at began, "This has  
been handed down generation to generation since our beginning.  
" When Eywa created Pandora, she made it for her own enjoyment. She  
made it lush, green, rocky, and resource rich. But she never intended  
for the skypeople to live here. That was why so many saw this place as  
death. Eywa realized that after she created such a beautiful world  
that others should also enjoy this world. Then she made all kinds of  
animal you see today. It was a perfect world. But yet she was not  
happy. It felt like something was missing. She had wanted children  
that could talk to her. That is why we stand here today. She made the  
Na'vi to commune with her and to enjoy the world she had created.  
" This tree you spoke of was the first place where the Na'vi lived.  
Eywa made that place rich in food and have an abundance of water. The  
first clan to emerge from this place was the Omaticaya. We came out  
and ventured into the forest, where we eventually found our old  
Hometree."  
" Do you know then where it is located?" Jake asked.  
" Yes. I do. Every olo'eyktan since the beginning of time has been  
entrusted with this secret. And now seeing as you are the new olo'eyktan  
I will tell you the location. But first you must prove that you are  
ready for this great responsibility."  
" How? How must I prove myself?"  
At this point Jake's mind was a blur of thoughts. He wanted to know  
where this place was. The prospect of seeing Grace again made him want  
to cry. He had seen her human body die. But he had somehow known that  
she lived on. Even though she was ethereal. Somehow, deep down, he  
knew Grace was alive in her Avatar. Things had played out against her  
one to many times. And even though Eywa had denied her passage then,  
he knew somehow that she gained passage later on.  
" You," Mo'at said," must rule over our people for one year. And in  
that time you must go out on every hunt. Also you must be present for  
anything that concerns Eywa. For it seems that you are a chosen one."  
Jake felt a pulling deep down inside his heart and spirit. He was  
meant to go to this place. Eywa wanted him to bring the Omaticaya back  
to their home. It was his destiny.


	3. Chapter 3

A Hunter's Trial ( Jake, Neytiri, and Norm)

Norm's Avatar healed at a surprising rate. Within three weeks, all he  
had was scars. Yet the wounds still pained him, albiet less and less  
frequently.  
Tanhí had proven invaluable to Norm. She had found and dragged his  
unconscious Avatar body back to the link shack. She had cared for him  
while he recovered his strength. After all that, she had told Norm  
that she loved him. He had said the same thing to her and after some  
slight hesitation on Norm's part they were mated.  
Norm's training began shortly after his full recovery. Max had  
traveled out to the Well of Souls to give Norm the all-good signal  
for his Avatar body. Instead of having any hunter train him, Norm had  
Neytiri.  
" Jake, are you serious? I saw what she did to you. You were run  
ragged. I don't want that."  
" Well, do you want to be Omaticaya or not? Simple question, simple  
answer."  
" Yes, with all my heart. But you have to remember, unlike you, I  
still have my human body."  
" Just wait until after your transfer. You are in for one hell of a  
ride, both before and after your transfer."  
" Don't remind me."  
Norm linked back the next day late in the morning, only to find  
Neytiri standing over him.  
" This is not how we start our day. We start early before the sun  
rises. This is when you must come, not now."  
" You've got to be kidding me," Norm said to himself. " And I thought  
I was doing good."  
Norm climbed out of his hammock and followed Neytiri. She was leading  
him towards the edge of the camp. Norm could only wonder where she was  
taking him and prayed it was nowhere dangerous. As they reached the  
end of the encampment Neytiri slowed to a pace just below a walk. Norm  
matched her pace step for step.  
" Since you were wounded," she said, " your body is weak. And even  
before you were wounded, your body was weak. Today, we are going to  
run. Running strengthens not only your legs but also your heart. Now  
catch me if you can!"  
She shot off like an arrow loosed from a bow. Norm was left standing  
there in stunned silence. He watched as she disappeared into the jungle.  
" This is just great," he said after a minute. " Well better go get  
her."  
Norm started running through the jungle quietly at first, then  
abandoning all reason, running full tilt. As he ran he caught  
glimpses of Neytiri but for only a couple of seconds. That's when he  
realized she was running around in circles. Instead of continuing to  
run around, he found a hollow upright log to squeeze into. He stayed  
there until he heard her start around again. He jumped out and tagged  
her.  
" Got you," he said with a grin on his face.  
Neytiri stopped running only to stare at Norm with an expression of  
utter confusion. She could not speak for a couple of minutes. When she  
did speak, it was in an awe inspired voice.  
" How did you get me?"  
" I found a hollowed out log. I hid until you came around again. When  
you passed by me I jumped out and got you."  
" It seems I'm going to use a different training technique with you.  
You actually think through situations unlike Jake. He used to use  
brute strength instead of actually thinking things through. It's  
actually a nice change. Now I get to use my intellect against one so  
learned as you."  
" Me? You think I'm learned? You have spent your entire life here.  
I've only been here 6 years. And I still have not seen everything  
there is to see. Also, you grew up in the forest and had to survive. I  
grew up in a city and had everything provided for me while you had to  
catch your meals and make anything else you needed for survival."  
" That is true. But you learned about our culture. You know everything  
there is to know even though you are not one of us. That takes  
devotion and heart. And in the eyes of the People that is all that  
matters."  
Neytiri had Norm do a number of exercises to determine what his level  
of balance and dexterity was. She soon found out that he was like a  
child when it came to anything that required work.  
After a few hours, she called him over to her.  
" Norm," She said, " We need to be heading back to the Well of Souls.  
It is about time for dinner."  
" Good," Norm said. " I was beginning to feel hungry. And I miss  
Tanhí. I've never been away from her for this long."  
" I miss ma Jake as well. Now let's get a move on or we'll never get  
back in time."  
Neytiri and Norm began the journey back to the Well of Souls. The  
journey took about 4 hours. All along the way, Neytiri showed Norm  
different uses for, what he had thought were just decorative plants.  
By the time they had reached the Well of Souls, it was nearly dark. As  
they made their way through the encampment, two figures were slowly  
approaching from the opposite direction. As the figures came closer  
they made them out to be Jake and Tanhí. In their hands they carried  
serving leaves filled with food.  
" Well, well," Jake said, " The mighty hunters return."  
Neytiri had just received the food out of Jake's hand. Without  
conscious thought her tail flew up and cracked him upside the head. He  
staggered back a couple of paces then moved forward again.  
Norm was having better luck. After getting the food from Tanhí, he had  
kissed her then sat down and began eating. Once he saw Jake get hit,  
he started laughing.  
" Jake," he said laughing, " I'd stop while you're ahead."  
" Maybe," Jake said smiling, " But where's the fun in that?"  
After they had finished eating, Jake and Neytiri had said their  
goodnight and went off to their hammock. Norm and Tanisha discussed  
their day with each other. When they finally went to their hammock it  
was well into the night.  
" I guess you are too tired to do anything," Tanisha asked mischievously.  
" I'm never too tired for you." he replied.  
He drew her in close then connected their queue's. No matter how many  
times they connected queue's, he could not get over how intense the  
feeling was. He could feel her and she could feel him. They could hear  
each others thoughts and feel everything each other was feeling.  
After Tanisha had fallen asleep, Norm again disconnected his queue from  
hers. He then slowed his breathing and fell asleep. Not ten seconds  
later he awoke back at Hell's Gate. In his human body. He climbed out  
of the link chamber and walked down the corridor toward his room.  
" Norm, that you?"  
" Yeah, Max. It's me. I just got back."  
" Well, how's your training going?"  
" Very interesting. It's actually very exhausting. Next week, I'm  
going to get to pick my Banshee."  
" Exciting. You look like you need some sleep. Go get some. I've been  
doing all your jobs around here so you're covered."  
" Thank you. And good night Max."  
" You're welcome. Good night Norm."  
The next morning that Norm linked back, the place was a hive of  
activity. He spotted Jake talking with some of the elders and made his  
way over to them.  
" Morning, Jake." he said. " What's going on?"  
" Well, Norm," Jake began, " Tonight you go on your dream hunt. Your  
spirit animal will come and you will know what you are supposed to do.  
Now what happens is that you will eat a glow worm then be stung on the  
neck by an arachnoid. The venom will give you a hallucinginous dream  
in which your spirit animal will come. As you know mine was Toruk. To  
this day I don't know why I was chosen but I was chosen nonetheless  
Now it's your turn. I'll be there the whole time so don't worry."  
" Okay." Norm said shakily. " What time do I need to be back here?"  
" Just after the sun sets. That's when we will begin. You're not the  
only one you know. Many others will be taking their dream hunt as well."  
" That's a comfort. At least I won't be the only one who makes an ass  
of himself."  
" Ah. Don't worry. I was nervous when I did it to. But boy am I happy  
I did. Norm, I wish you the best of luck. I would love to stay and  
chat but my duty as olo'eyktan calls. See you later."  
" Yeah. See you later."  
Norm wandered aimlessly throughout the encampment until he found  
Tanisha She was helping weave a great tapestry that depicted the war  
with the Tawtute. He remembered that all to well. Absent absentmindedly he  
reached up on his shoulder and touched the spots where the GAU 90  
cannons had ripped into his flesh. Tanisha saw this and was at his side  
in a moment.  
" Are you alright, my love?" she asked concerned.  
" I'm fine," Norm replied. " Just remembering old memories and  
injuries."  
" Oh. I thought you were in pain."  
" No. It does pain me to think about what happened though. How two men  
caused so much death and suffering."  
" Yes. But all that is passed as rain passes through the forest."  
" Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you."  
" And I don't know what I would do without you."  
Norm looked down at her and kissed her. She returned his kiss  
oblivious to the stares they were receiving from the women at the loom.  
" I'm going back to my other body." he said after a few minutes. "  
This one needs all the rest it can get. I'll be back a little before  
sunset though. I'll come looking for you."  
" And I will be looking for you."  
Norm gave her one last kiss before heading off to his hammock. He  
gently lowered himself down into it. As he lay there he could hear all  
the People getting ready for tonight. He closed his eyes and let his  
breathing steady.  
Norm climbed out of the link chamber to be greeted by Max. Max had  
been monitoring Norm's link. He had taken to doing that whenever Norm  
was out and about in his Avatar.  
" Hey, Norm," Max said. " Back a little early, aren't you?"  
" Yeah," he replied. " I am. It's only because tonight I'm taking my  
dream hunt. After I complete it, I am one of the People. Then the next  
day, I go on Inkimaya where I choose my ikran."  
" Wow. You've got a lot coming at you."  
" Yeah. I do. Max, listen because this is important. After I get an  
ikran, I'm taking the transfer. All the people here at Hell's Gate are  
invited. I've decided to become fully Na'vi like Jake. I have Tanisha  
What else do I need?"  
" Nothing I suppose. And Norm, that's great for you. Do you think they  
would mind if I bring a couple of sensors with me? I want to see and  
hear exactly what you see and hear in the transfer."  
" I don't think they would mind but I'll check with Jake just to be  
sure."  
" Thanks Norm. You remember that little science project I was working  
on?"  
" Yeah. Why?"  
" What if I told you it worked?"  
" Did it? That's great. So you finally figured out how to make  
yourself an Avatar. Now you can feel what it's like to be out there.  
It's… It's… I can't describe it with words. You have to feel it for  
yourself."  
" It should be ready in a day or so. Hopefully I'll be at your  
transfer in my new body but that's hard to tell. Everything may go  
according to plan and maybe not."  
" Well I'm looking forward to seeing you there. Thanks for everything  
Max. I don't know what I would have done without you."  
" Hey no problem. To see you and Jake happy and at peace is more than  
enough for thanks."  
" I'll talk to you later. I need to get some food. See ya."  
" Okay. See you later."  
Norm walked away from the link pod where he and Max had been talking.  
His next destination: the cafeteria. As he entered the cafeteria, he  
could smell something cooking. It smelled good. Tony, the chef, had  
been giving them amazing meals. Tony had stayed behind because all his  
family on earth was dead. He had also assisted in taking over Hell's  
Gate when Selfridge had gone nuts.  
" Hey Tony!" Norm shouted. " You got anything good to eat for a lonely  
Avatar driver."  
" Yeah. Yeah." Tony said. " Lonely my ass. Anytime you come around in  
your Avatar you always have that woman with you. So don't give me this  
lonely bullshit. And yes. I just finished making lunch. Do you want to  
eat in peace or have company."  
" Whatever you want," Norm said.  
" Well then," Tony said," You can make the announcement for lunch over  
the p.a."  
" Okay."  
Norm walked over to the p.a. and clicked the button.  
" Attention all personnel. I regret to announce that lunch is now being  
served."  
He clicked the p.a. off and went to get a tray. After that he jumped  
in line. As he neared Tony, he could tell the cook was not happy.  
" Smart-ass." Tony said. " I have a mind to put you on bread and water."  
" I was just having some fun. Jeez. Loosen up a bit."  
" I'll loosen your head up a bit. That's what I'll do."  
" Okay," Norm said. " I'm sorry. Happy?"  
" Yeah," Tony said. " I am now."  
Norm ate his lunch in relative silence. As he looked around the  
cafeteria, he noticed that all of the Avatar drivers were there. Amy,  
Cathy, Greg, Casey and Ian. Only five people had Avatars. All the rest  
were either killed or they were permanently transferred over.  
" Hey Greg!" Norm yelled across the cafeteria. " All y'all come over  
here."  
" What's up, Norm?" Amy said sitting down across from him.  
" Yeah," Cathy said, " This had better be good. You pulled me away  
from my food."  
" And Norm," Ian said, " You know how much Cathy loves her food."  
" All right," Norm said, " This won't take long. At the end of the  
month, you will never see this body again."  
" Are you taking the transfer?" Greg asked.  
" Yes, I am. How can I not? Tanisha would kill me if I didn't." Norm  
said.  
" Yeah," Cathy said. " She would."  
" What's going on tonight?" Amy asked.  
" I'm taking my dream hunt." Norm said." I don't relish the idea of  
getting stung with an arachnoid but I must if I want to be hunter. So  
I just got to suck it up. By the way, you're all invited. Just come  
early and we'll have a spot for you. It's nothing spectacular mind  
you. But I thought I'd give you the invite."  
" Thanks." Ian said. " But this time I think we'll decline. See me and  
Amy got some troubles of our own and so does Greg and Cathy."  
" What kind of troubles?" Norm asked suspiciously.  
" Well," Greg said, " Amy and Cathy's Avatars are pregnant. Me and Ian  
are the fathers."  
" How do you know that the Avatars are pregnant?" Norm asked.  
" We did a pregnancy test." Cathy replied. " Amy and I were feeling  
bad. Nausea and lightheaded. That kind of thing."  
" You realize that there's no turning back." Norm said smiling. " You  
guys are mated for life. No going back."  
" Yeah," Greg said. " We realize and can live with that."  
" Well, then," Norm said. " Congratulations. Well, I gotta get going.  
If I'm not back at the Well of Souls soon, Neytiri will give me such a  
chewing out. Not to mention Tanisha She would kill me."  
" All right." Ian said. " Good luck."  
" Thanks again."  
Norm took his tray up to the recycler and dropped it in. He walked  
down to the link room but hesitated before climbing into his link  
chamber. Max chose that moment to enter the room.  
" Hey Norm," he said. " Goin' back?"  
" Yeah," Norm said. " I have some things I need to take care of.  
Neytiri wanted me back early for some reason. I think it was because of  
Jake. He probably wants to tell me what happened to him. The physical  
aspect of what the poison does. He said it wasn't pleasant."  
" Well," Max said, " considering the sting of the arachnoid can kill  
an elder and young Na'vi with its sting, I'd say you're in for one  
hell of a ride."  
" Yeah, you can say that again. What did you find with the trackers?"  
" The imaging is not working and the sonar goes in and out. But from  
the snippets I'm getting she's alive."  
" Her Avatar's reading on the sensors?"  
" Yeah. Actually it is. But the Flux is causing interference with the  
signal. She is alive though."  
" Praise Eywa. Jake will be happy to hear that. He's the one that  
wanted to know."  
" Really? I wonder why?"  
" He saw her when he passed through the Eye of Eywa."  
" Never knew that. Thanks for telling me."  
" Yeah. I thought I told you. Oh well. I gotta go or Neytiri and Tanhí  
will kill me."  
" All right. I'll see you later. I'm still allowed to come, right?"  
" Yeah. Jake said that was all right."  
" Awesome. See you later."  
" You too."  
Norm closed the link over his head and heard Max initiate the program.  
He let his mind go blank and soon he was rushing through the tunnel of  
light that marked his entry into his Avatar.  
When he awoke, Tanhí was in the hammock with him. As he stretched, he  
woke her.  
" Sorry," he said sheepishly. " I didn't mean to wake you."  
" It's okay." She replied smiling." I needed to get up anyway. No one  
should be sleeping at this time of day. Even the ones with child."  
" Well," Norm said. " In my book, pregnant mothers get a big break but  
so do father's to be. But that's just me."  
" And that is why I could not live without you."  
" Nor I you." After a short pause he began speaking again.  
" When will our child come?"  
" It will be another couple of months now. He is still quite young and  
needs nourishment from me."  
" You said 'he'. So you admit it will be a boy by that remark."  
" I merely implied it might be a boy. I still say it's a girl."  
" Well, my monies on a boy. We had better get going. I guess there is  
some kind of ritual I have to have done before I actually go on my  
dream hunt."  
" Yes, there is."  
" Any indication on what it might be?"  
" You will find out soon enough." Tanhí said with a smile that was  
very mischievous.  
" That's very comforting," Norm said sarcastically. " Now I know to be  
scared."  
" Do not fear. In fact you will actually enjoy it quite thoroughly."  
" I'll take your word on it. Now let's get moving. I'm really nervous  
and just want to get it over with."  
Norm climbed out onto the limb above his hammock. As soon as he was  
out, he reached down and helped Tanhí out of the hammock as it was  
hard for her to get out being a few months pregnant. They walked hand  
and hand down out of the sleeping area and into the deep basin that  
formed the home of the great Mother tree.  
" You know," Norm said, " Every time I look at that tree, I see Grace  
standing before me telling me I had contaminated a sample with my," He  
started chuckling, " my spit. God, I miss her. She was like my mother.  
Strict, firm and unmoving. But at least I know she's alive. I just  
don't know where."  
" Dr. Augustine is still alive?" Tanhí asked in amazement. " But she  
died. I was here. I saw her die."  
" So did I," he replied, " Max said he found her signal from her  
avatar. So she must still be alive. Somewhere."  
" That makes me feel glad that she is still alive. She is who I  
learned English from."  
" Did you go to her school?"  
" For a short time, I did. But then the incident happened. I have  
never gone back there since. Seeing Sylwanin and the rest of her war  
party murdered in front of me was enough, not to mention the wound I  
took to the shoulder. The Tawtute shot me because I was helping get  
children out of the school."  
" I had no idea." Norm said stopping to look at her. " I never knew.  
I'm sorry that I brought it up. I can see it causes you pain."  
" It is only minor pain," she said. " Most of it is gone. And it will  
mostly fully pass with time. But this scar I hold as a grim reminder  
that some Tawtute are evil but also that some are pure of heart, like  
you."  
" I love you Tanhí," he said. " And I don't know what I'd do without  
you."  
Norm leaned close and kissed her. By the time they separated, their  
hearts were beating fast from lack of oxygen.  
" And I," Tanhí said, " Love you even more."  
" All right. Break it up, lovebirds." a voice said from behind them.  
Norm and Tanhí turned to find Jake and Neytiri standing there.  
" Sorry," Norm said. " I was just stealing another kiss with Tanhí  
before the actual ritual. I was on my way to find you."  
" I know, my friend," Jake replied. " Max has just arrived. His Avatar  
looks good. Apparently, Grace taught him well. Well, no sense in  
putting this off any longer. Let's go, Norm."  
" I'm coming," Norm said reluctantly.  
Jake led Norm down into a side depression of the Well of Souls. In  
this room were the elders of the Omaticaya, several jars and a circle  
on the ground. After completing the customary welcoming phrase, Jake  
had Norm squat in the center of the circle. He brought over a burning  
torch that issued forth more smoke than flame.  
" Let the smoke wash over you." he said. " It will cleanse you and  
prepare you for what's next."  
Next Jake grabbed a rotting piece of wood. He cracked it open and  
inside was a glo-worm. He picked it out and handed it to Norm,  
indicating he needed to chew it.  
Norm chewed the worm, thinking that it tasted like a Gummy Worm only a  
little bitter. After indicating to Jake he had chewed it all and  
swallowed, Jake reached into a stone jar. Out of it he pulled an  
arachnoid. Norm eyed the insects stinger with dread.  
" This is going to smart a little bit." Jake said as he moved closer  
to Norm. " But it's nothing you can't handle."  
Jake pressed the arachnoid's stinger to Norm's neck and pressed down.  
He was rewarded when he heard Norm's breathing speed up considerably  
due to the sting he had just received.  
As soon as the arachnoid bit him, Norm was plunged into a psycho-  
active dream. All the colors he saw were distorted along with  
everything else. He was standing on a path in the middle of the  
forest. In front of him was a the very tree Jake had described. He saw  
Grace standing in front of it. She looked at him but didn't say  
anything.  
Back in real life, Norm's Avatar was on the ground muscles coiled up  
from the poison. His back was arched as his back spasmed and he cried  
out.  
Meanwhile, the scene changed. The tree was on fire now. He could see  
Grace pinned on the tree with a spear like a trophy. Around her were  
people of the Omaticaya. He looked left and right in growing horror.  
Jake, Neytiri, Max, Tanhì. All dead. He looked away as not to see what  
happened when a voice spoke.  
" This is what could happen if you do not take the transfer and fulfill  
your destiny." The voice said. " You know what your destiny is. You  
always have. And you always will."  
" I…I… don't know what my destiny is," Norm replied before the  
scene changed again.  
This time, he saw a small thanator being held in the arms of a Na'vi.  
He could only see the arms but soon he saw who it was. The Na'vi was  
him. He was shocked.  
The scene shifted again. It showed him riding into battle against what  
looked like RDA troops on a mighty thanator. Behind him came warrior  
on direhorses and foot. They were like a sea, innumerable as the  
grains of sand on a sea shore. It appeared they had victory. Then, he  
saw himself struck down off the thanator. Slowly the vision faded and  
he was back in the ring.  
Jake and the rest of the elders were staring at him. He stood on  
shaky legs and faced them.  
" Jake," he said. " I need to tell you what I saw in private. It  
warrants immediate action. I don't feel comfortable telling anyone  
else."  
" Come with me," Jake said after seeing the concerned look on his dear  
friends face. " Now what did you see? You look troubled."  
" Jake," Norm began, " I am troubled. I know what my spirit animal is.  
A thanator. It looks as though I rescue a cub and raise it. But that  
is not what has me worried. This is what is troubling me……"  
He proceeded to tell Jake everything he saw including all their deaths.  
" And Jake," he said, " What I saw scared the living hell out of me. I  
will not let this happen. So it looks like I will be joining you as a  
permanent here soon."  
" What you've told me is certainly interesting and warrens immediate  
attention." Jake said. " I'll talk to Max and we'll see what he says.  
Now, Let's not worry about this tonight. Tonight is your night, son of  
the Omaticaya."  
Jake led Norm into the central gathering area where all the tribe was  
gathered.  
" People of the Omaticaya," Jake yelled so all could hear," Our  
brother, Norm, has returned from his dream hunt. He is now one of the  
People. Welcome him as you welcomed me."  
Jake placed his hands on Norm's shoulders with every clan member doing  
the same. Tanhí was beaming with pride at her mate. She looked finally  
at peace. And, at last, Norman Spellman was finally on of the People,  
something he had only dreamed of had finally happened.


	4. Chapter 4 Part 1

Ikinmaya Part 1 (Norm, Jake, Neytiri)  
Several days had gone past since Norm's dream hunt. He was feeling on  
top of the world. So many of the clan members were talking to him and  
asking him to do many things. He had never felt so needed in his life.  
And right next to him was Tanhí. She had never lost faith in him and  
had encouraged him when he felt like he could go no further. She was  
also expecting his child. Even though he had said it was a boy, he was  
having his doubts. But the thing that gave him the most doubts was  
Ikinmaya, when he was to choose his Ikran. The night before he was to  
go, a dream nearly made him have a heart attack.  
He was standing on a ledge high in the Halleluiah Mountains facing a  
banshee. The banshee was bigger than the rest and had an odd  
coloration of blue, black, and red. At the moment though he did not  
notice the coloration, for the banshee lunged at him. He tried to move  
out of the way and wrap the boo around its muzzle but was too slow.  
The banshee caught his leg in its mouth and with a sickening crunch it  
bit down. Norm's breath came ragged and in gasps because of the pain.  
He could not put any weight on the leg and virtually could not move at  
all. The banshee came over and picked him up in its teeth and shook  
him. It then threw him off the cliff and dove after him.  
All Norm could see coming at him was a screaming banshee. He reached  
in front of him and grabbed his queue. As the banshee swooped toward  
him, he managed to grasp an antenna and connect his queue as it flew  
past him. He climbed on its back and the last thing he saw was the  
ground rushing up at him.  
Norm woke up panting in his bed back at Hell's Gate. He was drenched  
in sweat. Slowly he peeled back his blankets and climbed out of bed,  
unable to sleep any longer. He walked to his restroom and took a  
shower. After climbing out of the shower, he decided to shave but  
stopped short when he saw the image staring back at him in the mirror.  
His eyes, which were once clear and blue, were sunken into his face  
and bloodshot from lack of sleep. His face was gaunt from the weight  
he was losing. Slowly but surely he was loosing himself, much as Jake  
had done. And he did not want to go down the road Jake had gone down.  
Ending up nothing but an empty shell.  
Norm quickly shaved and went down to the sci-lab to get some work done  
that he had neglected to do. When he walked in, Max was there hunched  
over a microscope.  
" Hello, Norm," Max said without looking up from the microscope. "  
What brings you up to my humble lab?"  
" How did you know it was me?" Norm asked hesitantly.  
" Who else would be up at three in the morning?" Max replied. "  
Besides that, I really didn't know it was you. I took a guess but a  
well calculated guess."  
" Ah. That explains it then." Norm said. " And I'm here because I  
can't sleep."  
Max looked up from his microscope to look at Norm who had taken a seat  
across the lab bench.  
" I keep having these nightmares," Norm continued," about what will  
happen when I choose my ikran. This latest one was the ikran bites me  
on the leg. My leg snaps in half. The ikran grabs me. Then proceeds to  
shake me like a dog then toss me off the cliff. And to top it off, he  
comes after me to finish me off. By that time I've gotten my wits  
about me enough to grab the ikran's antenna as it fly's by and I put my  
queue to it and I make the bond. The last thing I saw was the ground  
rushing up at us. Then I woke up."  
" At least you woke up before you hit the ground," Max said jokingly.  
" This isn't funny," Norm replied sharply. " I don't want to lose my  
life over some right of passage. And from the vision that I had during  
my dream hunt that I told you about, I know I don't die but that  
doesn't make this any easier. I guess once I get my ikran, I'll  
actually be, truly be, in word and deed one of the People."  
" Then what have you to fear," Max said. " If you know you don't die  
then why worry? And I know what your answer will be but let me hear it  
anyway."  
" I just don't want Tanhí to see me fail," he replied quietly. " I  
want to be the man I have to be for her and for my child. The problem  
is I can't always be there. And I want to be. I'm wasting myself away  
trying to be there every moment of every day. But there are certain  
limits. Max, this body is dying, slowly dying, because of the pace  
I've set for myself. And I'm not good with that. I mean eventually  
this body is going to die but I would like that to happen when I take  
the transfer not any sooner. How do I go on knowing that I'm killing  
myself?"  
" My friend," Max said seriously, looking Norm in the eye, " You are a  
man divided. You want to keep this life and have your other life with  
Tanhí. You can't have both at the same time so you subtract from one to  
add to the other. And I see you realized this doesn't work very well.  
My advice, and it's just that, would be to leave behind this life  
behind. In this life, this body, you have nothing. No wife, kids or  
even girlfriends. In your other life, your other body, you have a mate  
with a child on the way. That is your future. You've seen it. Abandon  
this life. Go to your mate and child. I know what it's like to be in  
an Avatar. It's amazing, intoxicating. And for some, it's become their  
life but that's not for me. I like my technology and my science. But  
that's just me. I hope I helped you."  
" Yes," Norm replied. " You've helped me a great deal. I know what I'm  
doing now. Thank you. By the way, how did you make your Avatar so fast?"  
" You were only with Grace for a little while," Max responded. " I was  
with her for six years before you ever showed up. She taught me how to  
make one in little under seven years. I started growing it right after  
Grace showed me how. It just happened to be done when your Dream Hunt  
was performed. And really it's not hard to make. We have samples of  
DNA from the Na'vi. It's pretty simple to add your DNA to it and  
voila, you have yourself an Avatar."  
" I didn't realize it was that easy," Norm said. " So, in theory, if  
my Avatar had died, I could have had you grow me another one?"  
" Yes," Max said. " But remember we are dealing with life here. As  
much as this makes us think we are God, we aren't. And we can never  
be. So don't think that if you kill yourself on this little expedition  
of yours that you'll be getting another Avatar."  
" But-But.…" Norm began to say.  
" No buts about it." Max replied. " I'm the only one on base with the  
knowledge to make Avatars. I regard life with such a great respect  
that I will not let it be so rashly taken. Got it?"  
" Yeah," Norm replied sullenly. " I get. No extra lives to fall back  
on. Thanks for the chat. I enjoyed it."  
" Anytime, old friend," Max replied. " What are you going to do now?"  
" I'm going back to enjoy a night with my mate," he replied with a  
grin. " She deserves something."  
Max began laughing while he pulled up the program for the link. Norm  
climbed in and slowly the link closed.  
He closed his eyes and the customary tunnel of light marked his entry  
into his Avatar.  
Norm awake in his hammock at the Well of Souls. Beside him was Tanhí.  
She was fast asleep without showing any signs of waking. He slowly  
climbed out of his hammock taking extra care not to shake it around  
too much. After climbing out of his hammock and quietly making his way  
out of the sleeping area he ran up to the cliff that overlooked the  
Tree of Souls. He sat down on the edge and looked out over the ravine.  
His mind was a blur. He still could not get over how Grace was alive.  
He saw her die. In theory, she was dead. She was not seen again but  
they knew her Avatar was alive. The signal never lied. Her Avatar was  
alive. That meant she was alive. His thoughts shifted again. He was  
going to be a father. That in and of itself was scary. He wasn't sure  
he was ready to be a father. Jake had told him that he had taken care  
of kids after the battle and it was not hard at all. Of course, him  
being Toruk Makto had made it even easier. But Norm was not Toruk  
Makto. He was, well, Norm. Plain ordinary Norm Spellman.  
As he sat there deep in thought, another Na'vi silently crept up  
behind him. Sensing someone behind him, Norm grasped his knife in his  
hand and stood in one motion, bringing the knife around to defend  
himself.  
" Ganga," the Na'vi said quickly. " Ganga. It's me, Norm. Tanhí  
Norm lowered his knife and stood erect. He walked over closer to the  
Na'vi, only to see his mates bio-luminescent markings.  
" Tanhí," he said, relief mixed with concern flooding his voice. " Are  
you okay? Is anything wrong?"  
" Nothing is wrong," she replied. " I'm fine. When you woke, I knew  
something was wrong. Are you okay?"  
" No," he said, walking over to the cliff edge and taking his seat. "  
I am afraid. For the first time in my life, I'm afraid."  
Tanhí walked over to her mate and sat down beside him. She took his  
queue and connected it to hers, knowing he needed to relax.  
Norm shuddered as his mate connected their queues. No matter how many  
times they were bonded, he could not get over how intense the feeling  
was. He could feel his mate. In essence he was her and she was him.  
But then, after he thought he knew every square inch of her, he found  
something new. His child. His child was a bright spot in his mother's  
body. He reached out with his mind and touched the bright spot that  
was his child. It instantly recoiled in on itself.  
' It's all right, little one,' he said through the bond. ' I'm your  
father. There is no reason to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I  
love you now and always.'  
His child opened himself completely to Norm. He radiated happiness and  
joy. But then, Norm had a shock. His child was not male but female. He  
had a daughter. A little girl, which meant he lost his bet with his  
mate. And he hated losing. Worse he hated admitting he had lost.  
After feeling the new life inside his mate, Norm found new resolve. He  
decided that he would just go for it on anything he did. Knowing that  
he wouldn't die made it easier. He had seen himself live on in his  
dream hunt. The only thing he was afraid of now was the image of him  
being struck down off of the thanator That troubled him greatly. He  
pushed that to the back of his mind for the moment, because Tanhí  
began talking.  
" What are you afraid of, my love?" she asked tenderly, resting her  
head on his shoulder.  
" Nothing now, my love," he said with confidence. " I'm not afraid of  
anything now. Except you."  
" Why me?" she asked with surprise, looking up into his face at the  
same time.  
" Because I lost our bet," Norm said. " We have a daughter not a son."  
" When are you going to learn to trust me?" Tanhí asked smiling.  
" I think I'll start right now," he replied. " I'm done arguing with  
you and your intuition."  
" What is intuition?" she asked, puzzlement clouding her features.  
" Intuition is," Norm began, " when you have a gut feeling about  
something and it turns out to be right. I'm starting to learn to trust  
you with that. Besides I hate it when I look like an ass."  
They sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night.  
The sounds of the night were soothing yet terrifying.  
Tanhí moved closer to Norm and snuggled into his side. He wrapped his  
arm around her and sat content for what felt like ages.  
He stirred and looked down at his mate. Deep contentment and longing  
rose within him.  
" Since tomorrow I may die," he said with twinkle in his eye,"  
let's make the most of tonight."  
" I couldn't have said that any better," his mate replied.  
She turned toward him and kissed him, deeply and passionately. He  
returned the kiss.  
Before he knew it she was on top of him straddling him, grinning widely.  
" Let's begin," she whispered in his ear passionately.

Norm linked back the following morning to find himself in his hammock  
with his mate at his side. As he repositioned himself, Tanhí stretched  
and woke. He looked down on her with nothing but pure love.  
" Sorry," he said. " I didn't mean to wake you."  
" That is fine," she replied. " It was nice to wake and see you."  
He leaned down and planted a kiss on her waiting lips.  
' If it were night…' he thought to himself.  
He pulled away from her but she would have none of it. She snuggled in  
closer to him so that their bodies appeared as one.  
" You know," she said after a few moments, " You don't have to get up  
yet. We can say it's still night."  
" As much as I'd love to say that," he replied, " I need to get up.  
I'll stay for another ten minutes then I want to get some practice in  
before we leave."  
" Ten minutes is enough time for me," Tanhí said reaching for the  
string that held his loincloth in place.  
Twenty minutes later, Norm climbed out of his hammock. He reached down  
and helped his mate out of the hammock. Both were covered in a  
glistening sheen of sweat. After helping his mate out of the hammock,  
Norm decided he would take her to the stream to bathe. They walked  
down to a stream he had discovered a few days before. He had followed  
the stream to its point of origin and had found a small lake.  
When they reached the river, Norm directed them up stream rather than  
jumping in right there. Tanhí noticed this instantly.  
" Where are we going?" she asked.  
" Some place special," he replied. " A place that makes the fan lizard  
nest look ugly."  
She probed and probed, asking inumberal questions trying to get Norm  
to tell her where they were going. He was staunch on not revealing or  
telling her anything.  
They reached the edge of the lake and Norm slowed his pace. The lake  
was surrounded by huge vines that hung down from the trees that also  
encircled it, cutting off all view from land. The only way to see it  
was by the air. He slowly parted the vines and let his mate walk  
through first. As she walked through an amazing panorama hit her.  
A small circular lake with a small waterfall at one end with trees  
encompassing the entire perimeter. Various kinds of water plants lived  
on the shore and animals milled aimlessly about and in the water.  
Waterfowl flew overhead looking for a place to land. This was a  
private get away. No one could get in without you knowing.  
" So," He asked, " What do you think?"  
" It's amazing." she replied." I've never seen anything like it."  
" That's what I said when I first knew you," he said. " Now, let's go  
get a bath. Shall we?"  
They walked down to the water's edge and were preparing to get in when  
a familiar shape cast its long shadow across the water. Norm and Tanhí  
looked up and found Jake and Neytiri on Jake's Great Leonopteryx.  
" Hell," Norm muttered under his breath. " Figures he'd find this  
place too."  
The Leonopteryx swooped low over the water and landed on the other  
side of the lake. Norm saw Jake and Neytiri dismount.  
" Race you to the other side?" he asked smiling.  
" You're on," she replied gleefully as she ran down into the water and  
started across the lake.  
Norm laughed as he ran down and plunged into the lukewarm water. His  
mate was a good ways ahead of him. She had always been the better  
swimmer. And much to his regret, he could not catch up to her no  
matter how hard he tried.  
Tanhí reached the other shore first and climbed onto the land. She  
walked over to Jake and Neytiri.  
" I see you, olo'eyktan," she said to Jake then addressed Neytiri. " I  
see you, Neytiri Moat'ite."  
" I see you," both Neytiri and Jake replied at the same time.  
" What brings you two up here?" Jake asked looming out over the lake  
seeing Norm climbing out of the water and walking towards them.  
" Norm told me he had something to show me before he left," she  
replied. " This place was it."  
" Jake told me the same thing," Neytiri said. " ' Come with me, my  
love. I have something to show you that's almost as beautiful as you,'  
he said."  
" Norm used much of the same," Tanhí replied smiling. " Except his was  
less romantic."  
" Norm never was much of a romantic, were you?" Jake asked as Norm ran  
up to them.  
" Only when I want to be," he replied panting. The swim and the run  
had effectively winded him. After Norm had caught his breath, he asked  
a question that had been bugging him all morning.  
" When are we leaving?" he asked.  
" Well," Jake replied, " after we return from this little expedition.  
You'll be taking the pa'li to the nesting grounds. You should be back  
sometime tomorrow afternoon."  
" You're not going with us?" Norm asked surprised.  
" No, my friend," Jake said. " As much as I want to, alas I can't. My  
duties as olo'eyktan require me to stay in the close confines of the  
Well of Souls. It pains me because I can't go."  
" Why?"  
" Because Neytiri is going with you. She is choosing another ikran.  
And I would like to be there. But alas I have other duties that  
require my immediate attention."  
" Well," Norm said ," it's high time we be going. I want to get some  
practice in before we leave."  
" See you back at home," Jake said as Norm and Tanhí turned and walked  
away.  
" See you there," Norm called back over his shoulder.

After Norm and Tanhí left, Jake and Neytiri stripped of their scanty  
clothes and jewelry. They ran down to lake and plunged into the icy  
water head first. Neytiri was the first in with Jake following after.  
He laughed as he hit the water, circling and coming up behind his mate.  
He grabbed hold of her and flipped her on her back. He adjusted his  
position so that they were floating side by side, just drifting. After  
a long time, Jake broke the silence of their bond of love.  
" I know you're probably going to not listen to what I say next but I  
want to say it anyway. Be careful. If I lost you, I don't know what I  
would do. Besides I'd have to deal with Norm all by myself."  
" Do not worry yourself, ma Jake. I know how to take care of myself. I  
bonded with Seze before you were even around."  
After a few moments, she began speaking in a slow hesitant voice.  
" Ma Jake, I have something to tell you."  
" What is it?" he asked lightly, not really thinking it was anything  
serious.  
" I am with child," she replied, refusing to meet his eye.  
Jake turned over in the water and began to tread water. He was  
absolutely stunned.  
" Are… Are you sure?" he asked astonished.  
" Yes," she said, still refusing to meet his eye. " When a Na'vi women  
becomes pregnant, she can feel the child within her. It is like having  
an internal queue."  
" That's amazing." he replied. " Neytiri, why won't you look at me?"  
For the first time since their talk began, she looked him in the eye.  
" I did not want you to be angry with me," she replied. " The timing  
is not as good as it could be."  
" Ma Neytiri, Ma Neytiri," he said close to tears, " I could never be  
mad at you. It's quite the opposite. I'm overjoyed. To be able to  
bring a life into existence is almost too much to handle. But I  
welcome it. As should you. C'mon, there's something I want to try."  
Jake and Neytiri swam to the edge of the shore and climbed out onto  
the bank. They laid there letting the sun dry their skin.  
" What did you want to try?" Neytiri asked as they were being dried by  
Polyphemus.  
" This," he said as he took her queue in his hand and connected his  
queue to it.  
They both shivered as their minds became one. Jake could not get over  
how intense the feeling was no matter how many times he made Tsahaylu  
with his mate. But this time was different. He could feel Neytiri but  
there was something else there too. A faint spark. His child.  
" Is that… Is that our child?" he asked.  
" Yes," Neytiri replied. " That is our child. "  
" Is it a boy or girl? Can you tell?"  
" It is still to early. Our child is only about two weeks old."  
As he sat there, Jake felt complete. He had the woman of his dreams  
lying next to him and his child within her. Nothing could have broken  
that moment.  
" I want you to be extra careful tomorrow," Jake said after a few  
minutes. " Don't take any chances. I want you to come back alive and  
with an ikran."  
" I'll be careful," she replied. " Do not worry. I was not going to  
tell you about my pregnancy until I came back and we bonded again but  
I thought you might want to know since it's our child. I did not want  
you to be angry with though so I held my tongue for as long as I could."  
" I would never be mad at you for becoming pregnant," he said. " As I  
said before I'm overjoyed. Never think I'll be mad at you for that."  
They laid there in silence basking in the sun and in their love of  
each other for hours. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Neytiri  
stirred.  
" Ma Jake," she said, " We must be heading back. There is still many  
miles I must travel before I sleep."  
" I understand," Jake replied sulking at the fact that his mate had to  
leave him. " There are many things I must also attend to before I  
sleep. Come. Let us go."  
Jake and Neytiri re-clothed themselves then climbed on Jake's  
Leonopteryx After flying for about ten minutes, the Well of Souls  
came into view.

After Norm and Tanhí left Jake and Neytiri, they did not go directly  
to the Well of Souls. Norm decided to take a round about course that  
took them through the forest.  
"'Why are we not going back to The Well of Souls?" Tanhí asked as he  
deviated from his course.  
" I just want to spend as much time with you as possible," he said. "  
Besides, knowing Jake, he won't be back until sunset."  
" And knowing Neytiri," his mate said. " They definitely won't be back  
until sunset."  
" Well, then," Norm said smiling and taking his mate's hand in his,"  
We have a lot of time to be together before we have to be back."  
A rustling off to their left snapped them back to reality. Norm slowly  
pulled his bow from his back. Tanhí did the same. Thus armed they  
moved toward the sound. Slowly Norm parted the leaf that had obscured  
his vision and blocked his way. Ahead of him, about five hundred yards  
was a dead thanator. The rustling they had heard had come from the cub  
that was moving around its dead mother. All Norm could do was stare.  
He was seeing his future unfold before his very eyes.  
" Stay here," he said to his mate. " I'll be back."  
Norm began walking across the long trek of ground to reach the cub. As  
he closed the distance, a rumbling filled the earth and air. He  
doubled his pace and reached the cub in no time. He bent down to grab  
it and was surprised when it jumped into his waiting arms. It licked  
his face and arms as if he had known Norm his whole life.  
The rumbling Norm had heard earlier continued to grow in intensity as  
he walked back toward Tanhí She had a very concerned look on her  
face. Even though she had already heard this was going to happen from  
Norm, she still had her doubts. Now all her doubts were banished, only  
to be replaced by concern and worry.  
" Hurry, Norm!" she yelled, her voice drowned out by the rumbling that  
had increased.  
Norm looked her way for a fraction of a second. His attention was  
swept away by the herd of hammerhead titantothere that were barreling  
toward him. They had burst through the undergrowth with only seconds  
warning. And that warning was the rumble.  
Norm saw the titantotheres charging him and realized there was no  
where to go. He began running as fast as he could. There was going to  
be no escape.  
He remembered that Jake had once told him about something similar  
happening to him. He and Neytiri were out hunting in the forest when a  
herd of sturmbeast had nearly killed them. Jake had said they climbed  
onto a tree branch.  
Norm began looking frantically for a low lying limb. He spotted one up  
ahead about fifty yards. He changed direction and began running toward  
the branch. He leapt up at the last moment and was rewarded when his  
feet hit the branch. He shifted the thanator cub to one arm and used  
the other to steady himself. He lowered himself slowly to the branch,  
clutching the cub to his chest. He finally caught his breath and leapt  
down from the tree.  
" Tanhí!" he yelled. " Tanhí! Where are you?"  
" Over here," came the reply from off to his left.  
Norm began jogging, trying to find her. Finally he did. She had just  
climbed down from the tree that had given her refuge. She looked  
winded but fine nonetheless.  
When she saw the thanator cub in Norm's arms, she could only stare.  
Here was one of the Na'vi's mortal enemies acting like a pet. How was  
all she could wonder. Finally she found her voice.  
" You're going to bring it back with you?" she asked already knowing  
the answer.  
" I can't just abandon him, can I?" he countered. " His mother's dead.  
He'll die unless I care for him."  
" Besides," he added after a moment," this is what Eywa showed me.  
It's what I'm supposed to do."  
" If Eywa showed you," Tanhí replied moving closer to Norm and the  
thanator, " Then I have no problem."  
She reached her hand out to touch the thanator. It pushed its head  
into her hand and let her pet it. She laughed on the inside and out.  
She was touching what she had thought was one of her mortal enemies.  
All she could see was a loving tender beast that needed to be taken  
care of.  
" Want to hold him?" Norm asked.  
Tanhí slowly shook her head yes. She slowly took the cub out of Norm's  
arms and hugged it close to her chest. It looked up at her and started  
to lick her face with its tongue  
" I think he likes you," Norm said laughing.  
" It is not a he but a she," Tanhí said after a minute.  
" How do you know that?" Norm asked.  
" Look," she replied flipping the cub on its back.  
" Ah," Norm replied quickly. " I see. We have to give her a name. What  
do you think of Grace?"  
" I think its fitting." she replied. " You told me at times Dr.  
Augustine could be loving and other times she could be as fierce as  
a," she laughed as she said the next word thinking of the irony of  
their situation, " thanator."  
" Yes," Norm said chuckling. " She was all that and more. What do you  
say we get back to the Well of Souls as fast as we can."  
" Yes," Tanhí said. " Let us."  
They started walking back the way they had come. Tanhí held Grace in  
her arms, clutching her tight to her chest. Norm saw this but said  
nothing. He had a nagging feeling that Grace was going to be with  
Tanhí more than with him. And that was okay, for the moment.  
As far as he knew, no Na'vi had ever ridden a thanator. As he thought  
further on it, he remembered one person. And that person was an Avatar  
who had almost lost his life fighting for the Na'vi. This person, his  
name eluded Norm at the moment, was also the first Avatar to go rouge  
and fight against his own race. His name came to Norm a moment later.  
Captain "Able" Ryder. Ryder was now apparently one of the elders of  
the Tipani clan on the eastern sea.  
The Well of Souls came into view as they crested the cliff that Norm  
had been sitting on the previous night. They stood there for a moment,  
drinking in the scenery.  
" You had better give me Grace," he said. " It would probably be  
better for me to explain what happened than to have you explain."  
" I understand," she said, holding Grace out to him. He grabber her  
and clutched her to his chest. She had fallen asleep in Tanhì's arms  
and when they transferred her to Norm's arms, she had only stirred then  
curled closer to his chest.  
Norm and Tanhí looked on with nothing but pure love. This cub was  
going to bring them great joy but also great headache.  
As they walked toward their sleeping place, many Na'vi stopped and  
looked at them. Or more accurately Grace. Many gave them looks of  
disapproval and scorn while others looked on with looks of pure  
astonishment.  
Norm saw Mo'at walking swiftly toward them. Her tail was twitching at  
an unprecedented rate. She walked up to them and stopped. After  
looking them over, her eyes came to rest on Grace who was now awake.  
" What is the meaning of this?" Mo'at asked sternly. " You bring one  
of most mortal enemies into our camp and expect welcome?"  
" Mo'at," Norm replied, " This is my spirit animal. I saw her mother  
dead and she was there moving around her waiting foe her to move. I  
grabbed her and started back but not before I was almost run over by a  
wall of hammerhead titantothere. I took refuge in a tree until they  
passed. Then we made our way back here. Her name is Grace. Named after  
Dr. Augustine"  
" It is a fitting name," she replied. " I sense Eywa has truly given  
you this gift of life. Treasure it. For what the Good Mother gives,  
she can also take away. Has either of you tried to bond with her?"  
" No," Norm replied troubled. " It never occurred to us. Would it be  
like bonding with an ikran where the bond last for life or would it be  
like bonding with the pa'li?"  
" There is mention of this," Mo'at began, " in the Tipani clan. Able  
Ryder bonded with an palulukan to fight off the Tawtute. It is said  
that after he bonded with it, the palulukan never left him. I imagine  
it's like bonding with an ikran."  
" I should have time before Neytiri gets back," Norm said. " I could  
try."  
" Yes," Mo'at said. " Try. For if you do not, we will have. A wild  
thanator capable of anything. Now it is up to you to train and take  
care of her. You will be wholly responsible for anything she does. Do  
you understand?"  
" Yes," Norm replied. " I understand. Thank you, Tsahik."  
" You are most welcome."  
With that Mo'at turned and walked away. Norm watched her go and only  
one word came to his mind: Dragonlady. The phrase Jake had used to  
described her. And frankly the description fit.  
Norm and Tanhí went back to their hammock. Instead of practicing like  
he had told Jake, Norm decided to try bonding with Grace. Tanhí had  
left a little while before saying that she was going to help weave a  
tapestry.  
Norm reached behind his back and grabbed his queue. He then reached  
underneath Grace's neck spine and grabbed her antenna. Moving slowly  
he pushed the two together. As their minds became one, Grace became  
uneasy. She began growling and moving around in Norm's arms.  
" Grace," Norm said gently and lovingly, " It's me Norm. Don't be  
afraid. I'm going to care for you and I'll love you always."  
Upon hearing this, Grace settled down. She curled up to Norm's chest  
and radiated deep contentment. All Norm could do was smile.  
After Grace had fallen asleep, he disconnected his queue from her and  
slowly, yet carefully, climbed out of his hammock. He left Grace  
sleeping for the time being. He had other things to do.  
As he walked, many of the people turned and looked at him scornfully  
and madly. Norm saw Jake and knew it was going to be time for him to  
leave soon.  
Neytiri spotted him and motioned for him to join them. To his  
surprise, he found his mate there as well.  
" I see you," Norm said to Jake and Neytiri in greeting as he took his  
place next to his mate.  
" I see you," Jake replied first then was followed by Neytiri.  
" I hear you have yourself a thanator cub," Jake said looking at Norm.  
" Tanhí told us all of what happened. I have to say you are one lucky  
ass to be alive."  
" I know," Norm said. " I am for sure. I take now that you're back, we  
are leaving soon?"  
" Yes," Neytiri replied. " We are leaving in five minutes. Say your  
goodbyes and we will be on our way."  
Norm turned his back on Neytiri to look at his mate.  
" I'm goin' to miss you," he said. " Not to have you to curl up to  
every night is going to be torture."  
" And I'm going to miss you even more," Tanhí replied. " At least you  
won't have Grace to take care of."  
" Take care of yourself and her, ya hear me?" Norm said. " I'll be  
back as soon as I can."  
" I'll be waiting," his mate said.  
He reached down and drew his hand across her face. He kissed her with  
such passion that he thought his heart would burst. He drew away and  
hugged her one last time then turned and mounted a waiting Pa'li.  
Neytiri mounted her pa'li a moment later and began moving off into the  
sunset without glancing back. Norm could see she was taking this hard  
but he had no idea why. 


	5. Chapter 5 Part 2

Iknimaya Part 2 (Jake, Neytiri, Norm)

Neytiri and Norm traveled on in relative silence for what felt like hours. And indeed it was hours before they finally stopped for the night.  
They made camp in little under an hour. Instead of camping on the ground, like Norm had wanted to, they made camp in a cluster of four trees that came together and formed a platform above the ground. Neytiri explained that it kept them out of the reach of predators. Norm couldn't argue with that logic because he didn't want to be eaten.  
That still didn't stop him from trying to get camp set up on the ground. He had an aversion to heights. He could tolerate them but still did not like them.  
" Neytiri," he said as soon as they had made camp," What's the matter? I can tell leaving Jake was hard for you but you'll see him again soon."  
Neytiri looked at Norm with a sad smile on her face. She knew he was a friend. He had risked his life for her people and decided to become one of them. She knew she could tell him all her cares and sorrows and he would comfort her.  
" Norm," she said," I am with child."  
Norm looked at her with surprise then a wide smile lit up his features.  
" Neytiri, that's amazing," he said. " It's an occasion for joy and yet you are sad. Why?"  
" Because," she began," the timing could have been better. I'm going on my second Iknimaya with another life besides my own to risk. I don't want to lose this child. And from what you and Jake are saying, the tawtute will be back. When they arrive my child will only be seven years old. That makes me responsible for him yet again. And Norm, this time I do not know if I can protect him."  
Norm held his tongue about his vision he had received. He knew the Na'vi won the battle but he had not seen how many were dead or even if he lived. And that scared him even more than anything else because he knew that if he died, Tanhì would be right behind him. She would die of grief. Grief over the loss of her second mate. Norm wouldn't let that happen. He would survive, even if he was on the brink of death his strong bond of love with his mate would keep him alive.  
" Neytiri," Norm began, carefully choosing his words and looking her in the eye the entire time, " The tawtute will return. But this time, they will come back in stronger numbers and with a knowledge of how to fight us. The next tawtute have all the supplies and people to build four new bases."  
He looked at her and decided to put all his trust in her. She had trusted him and now it was his turn.  
" When I went on my dream hunt," he continued," I saw a great tree, much like the one Jake saw when he was transferred. Grace was standing in front of it. She was in her Avatar which is strange but I understand what it meant. To make me choose to become fully Na'vi and take the transfer.  
The scene changed all of a sudden. The tree was on fire but that was not what I saw. Grace, you, Jake, Tanhì, our children, and Max all dead. They were hanging from the tree by spears while it burned. I was told that was what would happen should I not take the transfer. What would and will happen is more or less comforting. I saw the tree, perfect and pristine. All around it were RDA soldiers. They were firing into the bowl shaped ring of trees that circled this great mother tree. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I see this rider appear on a thanator. Warriors surge out of the forest and completely surround the RDA. The soldiers put up a valiant effort but were ultimately defeated. They surrendered. But back to that rider. Neytiri, that rider was me. And the Thanator was Grace. Before the battle was over though, I see myself thrown off of Grace by what look like huge bullets penetrating my body. I have no idea whether I live or die. And that scares the living hell out of me."  
" Eywa showed you this?" she asked incredulous.  
" Yes," he replied. " She did. For what reason I do not know but she showed me. I am actually kind of hesitant to go on intimacy. Eywa showed me another vision of that. The banshee that I'm supposed to bond with bites me on the leg. My leg splinters and I am rendered useless. After that, the banshee picks me up, shakes me, then throws me over the edge. I'm falling and still the banshee is coming at me. He comes close enough and I bond with him. The last thing I see after getting on him is the trees rushing up at me. Then nothing."  
" Nothing?" Neytiri asked.  
" Yes," Norm replied. " Nothing. Just blackness. Then I woke. And that in and of itself was scary enough."  
" Do you remember I also rode a thanator?" Neytiri asked.  
" Yes," Norm replied. " It was killed when you fought Quaritch. What was it like, being bonded to a full grown thanator?"  
" I felt like," Neytiri replied, " I was the king of the forest. I felt like I could take on anything and survive. That is why, in my rashness or overconfidence, I went searching for RDA soldiers. By chance I stumbled onto Quaritch. Killing him was hard but I accomplished that. So do not think, when you bond with Grace when she is fully grown, that you cannot die. You can die just as easily as anyone. I had a close brush with death myself. It is not a very comforting experience."  
" myself also and I should say not," Norm said. " I'll try not to get that kind of attitude. Well, I'm going to take the first watch until midnight. I'll wake you then."  
" Okay," Neytiri said. " See you then."  
Neytiri laid down on the other-side of the platform. After a few minutes, Norm could tell by her breathing that she was asleep. He sat there in relative silence until he heard a snap. Then another one and another one. Someone or something was out there. Norm slowly reached behind him and grabbed his bow. In one motion, he knocked and pulled the arrow back to his cheek. He tracked the sound which became louder and louder as it got closer to him.  
Norm caught a glimpse of a leg and then nothing as it faded back into the night. At first he had thought it was the direhorses but they had tied them before going to bed. Whatever it was, it was smart. Then, a rustling behind him made him turn around. What he saw turned his blood to ice. A viperwolf stood crouched over Neytiri, ready to bite her throat. Before he could loose his arrow, a black shape launched itself onto the viperwolf. It grabbed the viperwolf and shook it until its back broke. Norm turned back around just in time to see a viperwolf jumping at him. He would not have enough time to react. Before it reached him, an arrow appeared in its throat. He looked around in bewilderment, trying to figure out where the arrow had come from and who had shot it. He finally located the person who had shot the arrow. Tanhì stood on the ground, bow drawn ready to shoot again if necessary. Understanding dawned on Norm as he finally figured out what the black shape was. Grace. Neytiri had woken after Grace had dispatched the viperwolf. She had grabbed her bow but the remaining viperwolves had fled. Norm ran across the platform to where Neytiri was standing.  
" Are you okay?" he asked.  
" Yes," she replied. " I am fine. Are you okay?"  
" Yes. I'm fine. Tanhì saved me."  
Grace slowly came into the light. She had minor scratches but nothing major wrong. Norm squatted down and Grace ran into his awaiting arms. She licked his face and could not stop wriggling around in his arms. Tanhì climbed onto the platform. She stood of to the side as if she was not welcome.  
" Thank you," Norm said to her. " We are both in your debt. But what are you doing here?"  
" Grace would not settle down," Tanhì replied. " She was running around and whimpering like crazy. Nothing I did would settle her down. So I decided to come find you. And lucky for you, I did."  
" I don't believe in luck." Norm said. " Just divine intervention. I wonder why they attacked us? We didn't cause them any trouble."  
" Most likely they were hungry or we are in their territory," Neytiri said sadly. " They did not need to die. But alas, they cannot see that we mean them no harm."  
Norm looked away from Neytiri to his mate. Tanhì was sitting on the floor of their little platform. She was rocking back and forth, sobbing uncontrollably. Norm ran over to her and grabbed her in a great embrace. He rocked her back and forth until she settled down.  
" What's wrong, my love?" he asked tenderly.  
" I…I have never taken a life like that before," she said between sobs. " This did not need to happen. I did not need to take that life."  
" It is done," Norm said. " Do not worry about what happen. If you wouldn't have killed it, I would be dead."  
" And frankly," he said with a chuckle, " I don't want to die. I want to live."  
" And I want to live with you," Tanhì replied. " I don't want you to die. I love you. And thank you."  
" You're quite welcome," Norm said, his face lit up with the biggest smile he had ever smiled. He leaned down and kissed her.  
" If you two are done," Neytiri said. Norm had plum forgotten about her. He and Tanhì slowly pulled away from each other. They stared into each others eyes then looked to Neytiri.  
" I'll take this shift," she said smiling. " You two had better get some sleep. And I mean sleep."  
" We will," Norm said smiling as he swept his mate off her feet. " We are adults."  
" That is why I said what I said," Neytiri replied to Norm's comment.  
" Don't worry, Neytiri," Tanhì said with the faintest of smiles. " We'll get sleep. I'm already tired so you have nothing to worry about."  
Norm carried Tanhì to the other-side of the platform and set her down. Grace tagged along at Norm's heels and settled down on Tanhì lap after Norm had set her down. Norm laid down beside his mate and curled into her. She curled into him, with Grace between them. Finally, after almost twenty four hours of being awake in his Avatar, Norm closed his eyes letting go of the world he loved for the moment.  
He awoke not five seconds later back at Hell's Gate. He pushed the link chamber lid open and slowly climbed out of the link pod.  
" Hell," he muttered to himself. " I need to take that transfer soon or I'm going to be nothing but a pile of bones."  
" I'll say," a familiar voice said from behind him. " You look like shit. Of course the same could be said for me."  
" Trudy?" He asked turning slowly around, not quite trusting his ears. As he completed his turn, there sat Trudy Chacon in a wheelchair. She had bandages all over her body. It appeared that she had severe burns all over her body, except for her face. Her face was the same as he remembered it except for a long scar that ran from her eyebrow down to her jaw on the left side of her face. Other than her being in a wheelchair she was the same person he had known and loved.  
" Trudy?" he asked again, this time not trusting his eyes.  
" Yes, Norm," she replied smiling and laughing. " It's me."  
" Trudy!" he finally yelled and ran over to her. " You're alive! How? I saw your Samson take a direct hit."  
" You gotta remember something," she said seriously. " All the Samsons have fire resistant cockpits. Along with that, the cockpits were designed to withstand tremendous impact. Even though it looked like the cockpit blew, it didn't. The only injuries I sustained were from the fall. A group of Na'vi found me and brought me back to Hell's Gate instead of taking me to the Well of Souls. And for that I'm grateful. Because if I would have gone to the Well of Souls, I probably would be dead right now, mainly because I had injuries only a surgeon could take care of. Anyway, Max took care of me in the Medical bay. I thought he told you?"  
" No, I didn't," Max said coming from behind Trudy. " I didn't tell him."  
" Why the hell didn't you tell me?" Norm asked letting the venom seep into his voice.  
" For a couple of reasons," Max explained. " One, I knew it would obviously distract you from your training. Two, I wasn't entirely sure she was going to make it. And three, I did not know what that would do to your decision to take the transfer."  
" I told you before," Norm said. " Nothing is going to change my mind about taking the transfer. Nothing. So what else have you not told me about?"  
" Nothing," Max said. " I swear on Tanhì's life."  
" Okay," Norm replied suspiciously. " I'll just have to trust you for now I guess."  
" You didn't trust me before?" Max asked, slightly offended.  
" Yes," Norm replied. " I did trust you before this. Keyword-did."  
" Stop it you two," Trudy said, more than a little agitated. " Norm, max had his reasons for hiding my survival from you. They were damn good reasons too. And Max, what else have you not told us?"  
" Well," Max began, " I've been monitoring the next ISV and it's two months out. I also pulled up their shipping manifests. They have everything they need for another four base. Buildings, perimeter fence, and a whole shitload of weapons and ammo. The only thing they don't have is troops. Only one hundred guys came with this ISV."  
" And you didn't think Jake or I needed to know this?" Norm asked clearly agitated.  
" I was going to tell you sometime this week," Max said apologetically, " But the reason I didn't was because I didn't want you to have so much to worry about. I mean you have Iknimaya and that's enough to worry about. I didn't want to add to it. I'm sorry for not telling you."  
" I'm the one who should be sorry," Norm said still seething. " Thank you for not telling me before this."  
" There," Trudy said. " Everything back to abnormal around here."  
" Ain't that the truth," Max said laughing.  
Norm joined in laughing after a moment, letting his anger slide away into joyful mirth.  
He stopped laughing after a while and looked at Trudy.  
" What?" she asked.  
" I still can't believe you are alive," he replied. " I saw your Samson fall from the sky and thought you were dead."  
" Well," she said bitterly," at least you didn't have a hard time replacing me."  
" What?" Norm said astonished. " You mean Tanhì?"  
" Yes," Trudy replied. " Whatever her name is."  
" Trudy, I thought you were dead. I mourned you then I moved on. And I know that sounds shallow but it isn't. Tanhì's mate was killed by the RDA. She recovered my Avatar and nursed me back to health. During that time we became closer and closer until we made the decision to be mates. If I knew you survived, I might not have mated with Tanhì. But since I didn't know, I let you go. I moved on. If I would have died, you would have done the same thing, wouldn't you?"  
Trudy was silent for a while. By the look in her eyes, Norm could tell he was right. But, instead of pressing the attack, he backed off and cooled his heels.  
" I probably would have," she replied quietly after a long silence.  
" Then you have no argument," he said. " But know this Trudy. When I thought you were dead, a little part of me died. I still care immensely for you but nothing that would take root. I found what I was looking for, a new life, and a new place to call home. I hope you find such as well."  
He gave Trudy one of his smiles that she had always loved.  
" I'm sure I will," Trudy said, returning his smile. " Thank you."  
" You're absolutely welcome," he replied. " Now that's taken care of, I need to get some rack. Tomorrow, we will reach the banshee rookery. Then the real fun begins. So goodnight and I'll see you guys tomorrow night."  
" See you then Norm," max said as he turned and walked out of the link room, " and good luck."  
" 'night Norm," Trudy said as she slowly wheeled herself back to the corridor.  
Instead of going back to his room to sleep, Norm decided to sleep in his link chamber. He dimmed the lights in the link room and climbed into the link unit. He didn't close the lid but left it open. After a few minutes of lying there with his eyes open, Norm finally fell asleep.  
Blinding light jolted Norm out of sleep the following morning. Somebody had turned on the lights for the link room. He slowly cracked his eyes open then slammed then shut again because of the blinding lights coming from the ceiling. He opened slowly again, this time sitting up and stretching as he did so. Norm looked around, wondering who had turned the lights on. He focused his eyes on the doorway, ready to ream out whoever had interrupted his sleep. He stopped short when he didn't see anyone. There was no reason for those lights to be coming on. It completely befuddled Norm until he realized he had forgotten to shut off the timer for the morning session.  
He swung his legs out over the side of the link and tentatively put his feet onto the cold metal floor. After standing and stretching, he walked over to the main control board for the Avatar Program. Norm punched in the proper codes and initiated the programming in all the link units. Slowly but surely, he heard all the generators starting up.  
Norm climbed into his link and pulled the upper clamshell closed. He let his mind go blank and closed his eyes. The usual tunnel of light marked his entry into his Avatar.  
Norm blinked himself awake as he slowly sat up in his Avatar. Tanhì was still sleeping beside him. Grace lifted her head and gave his arm a nudge as he stretched his legs. He slowly stood up and walked to the edge of their little platform. Looking to where Neytiri was supposed to be, Norm could not find her. He started to worry. If anything happened to her, Jake would kill him, even if it wasn't his fault. Then, as quickly as he had started worrying, he stopped. He had spotted her. She was at the base of the tree, kneeling over a carcass. A few feet away from her a small fire was burning. The sweet odor of cooking meet drifted up to Norm as he looked over the edge of their platform.  
Neytiri looked up and saw Norm looking over the edge. She stopped what she was doing and motioned for him to come down.  
Norm began to climb down the tree, carefully picking his handholds. He slipped once and almost fell to the ground before he regained his grip. He finally reached to ground and walked over to where Neytiri was making them something to eat.  
" The pa'li are not tied to the tree anymore," she said. " They have run away to be with the rest of their herd. The natang scared them away."  
Norm gave her a menacing scowl. He was not very happy at all. Walking the rest of the way was going to be a pain.  
" So we have to walk the rest of the way?" he asked.  
" Yes," Neytiri replied. " It is not far. If we leave here by mid-morning we will reach the nesting grounds in about an hour. Half an hour if we had the pa'li."  
Norm walked over to Neytiri and sat down beside her. He was debating whether or not to tell her Trudy was alive.  
" Neytiri," Norm said, looking her in the eye," Trudy survived. She's alive."  
" Trudy's alive?" she asked incredulous. " How? The metal beast that carried her crashed from the sky."  
" It did," Norm replied. " She survived it somehow. She's back at Hell's Gate recovering. I thought you might like to know."  
" Thank you for telling me," she said. " It warms my heart to see that Eywa spared her. She did not deserve what happened to her."  
" No one deserves what happened to her or what happened to Pandora," Norm added. " What the RDA did was wrong. They thought they could take whatever they wanted and kill as often as they pleased. But that's just not right. ' Thou shalt not kill.' And yet they do."  
" It is a sad way of life," Neytiri said. " Jake told me once that the tawtute killed their mother. Is this true?"  
" Yes," Norm replied. " The people on Earth killed their mother. There is no green left on Earth. It is a dying world. They have screwed it up so much that there is no hope of saving her. She died a long time ago. We traded our dear Mother's life for technology that is cold and impersonal. It has no feeling whereas our mother listened to us and gave us comfort when we needed it. She gave us aid when we were down on our luck. And all we could do to repay her was to slowly kill her."  
By the time Norm was done talking, a tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.  
" I will not let them do that to this world," he continued. " I've found a new life, a new world to call home, and a new people to call family. And by Eywa, if the skypeople return, I'll kill as many of them as I can before they kill me. I will not let them kill our Mother."  
" You are truly one of the People," Neytiri said. " I have never met a dreamwalker who loved our Great Mother and our world as much as you and Jake do. Grace loved our world to an extent but she never fully gave herself over to Eywa as you two did."  
Norm thought back to the conversation Grace had with him a few hours before she died.  
" Norm," she said beckoning him over to where Jake had laid her before he linked up. " Norm, I am dying. There is no way around that. I realize that now even if this transfer thing doesn't work. Listen to me while I have the strength. Quaritch will stop at nothing to kill the Na'vi. I've held him at bay for years, stopping him when and where I can. This time he got me. You must stop him. He must not be allowed to take all those lives. Kill him. If you have the chance, don't hesitate. Strike first.  
" I never really gave my life to the Na'vi. I held back. Neytiri noticed this once and asked me why. I tried to explain to her that I had two bodies and one mind. She really didn't understand but she didn't ask me again. I guess part of me wanted to stay human because it's all we've ever known. When Quaritch came in and shot Sylvanin in the doorway of my school, I tried to get as many of the children out as I could. A soldier saw me doing that and shot me. Bullet ripped through my abdomen and took out a kidney. My Avatar spent almost a year healing. During that time, I couldn't forgive myself for what happened to Sylvanin. I felt I caused it. After the incident, no more children came to the school. Norm, they used to call me Sa'nok. Mother. And let that happen. Do not make my mistakes. Love them with all your heart and never let anything happen to them. The Na'vi are now your life. Fix what I have done. Restore the peace between human and Na'vi. Farewell, Norm. And Neytiri, I'm sorry for everything that happened to her and her family…"  
Grace's voice trailed off as another wave of pain washed over her. She drifted into an unconscious state of mind as the pain became more intense. That was the last time Norm had spoken to Grace. He still remembered that conversation.  
" The reason Grace never gave herself to you and Eywa," Norm said, " was because she felt responsible for your sister's death. She couldn't stand to face you again. She told me to tell you she was sorry. That she was sorry for everything. She asked me to ask you if you could ever forgive her."  
Neytiri had tears running down the sides of her face as Norm finished. She had never held Grace responsible yet Grace had thought she was responsible.  
" I never held her responsible," Neytiri said in a voice just above a whisper. " She died feeling like she had betrayed our race and me. I feel… I don't know how I feel. I never knew or I would have told her. I loved Grace. She was like a second mother to me. I used to tell her everything. My not coming to the school after my sister was killed must have been an indicator that I held her responsible and that was not the case. After my sister was killed, they forbade me to go around any dreamwalkers. I would have gone to the school just to see Grace. I tried but my mother and father stopped me each time. And I never had the chance to talk to her after that up until she died. But she's alive right?"  
" That's what Max told me," Norm said. " Neytiri, don't beat yourself up for something you never knew about. There's still time to fix it. Her avatar is alive somewhere to the north. All we are getting is sketchy signals but knowing Grace, she's probably at that tree Jake and I saw. And your Mother has the knowledge of where it's located. The only problem with that is Jake has to be olo'eyktan for a year, of which he has only two months left. After that, we are off to find Grace and to find our new home."  
" Yes," Neytiri said thoughtfully. " It will give our people a permanent place to call home. Also it will give us hope of a new life, a better life than the one before."  
" It will be a new start." Norm said. " An untainted beginning for our people."  
A branch creaked high above in the tree creaked. Norm turned to look and saw that his mate was slowly making her way down the tree. He wanted to rush over and help her but if he did, she would never accept it. After three minutes, she was on the ground sitting by her mate, tail intertwined with his.  
" Good morning," Norm said affectionately to her.  
" Good morning to you too," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.  
" How did you sleep?" he asked.  
" Very well," she replied. " Especially since I had you."  
" Good," he said. " Today we are going to reach the nesting grounds."  
" Do not worry," she said after seeing the worry in his eyes. " Eywa has destined you to bond with a banshee and survive, albeit with some injuries. All I have to do is keep my composure. The thought of seeing you free falling over a cliff is almost too much for me. But at least I know you live.  
" And think of it this way," she continued after a short pause with a smile on her face, " if you get injured, I get to nurse you back to health."  
" I bet you'll enjoy that, huh?" Norm said smiling mischievously.  
" You know I would," she replied, returning his smile.  
After they had eaten, they packed up their small camp and began their short journey to the nesting grounds. As Neytiri had predicted, they reached the foothills of the Halleluiah Mountains by mid-morning.  
As they neared the path, Norm had a decision to make. Either to let Tanhì come with him or make her stay at the bottom. He did not want her to see what was going to happen to him.  
" Tanhì," Norm said. " I want you to stay here. I don't want you to see what is inevitable going to happen. Besides, I don't want you to get hurt. And, let's face it, your pregnant. You've got yourself and the baby to look after. Stay here and I'll be back. I promise."  
" I don't doubt you'll be back," Tanhì said. " What worries me is in what condition. Norm, I love you so much. Please be careful."  
" I love you too," he replied. " And remember, I'm always careful."  
He leaned down and kissed her passionately. She didn't resist. She never resisted.  
Norm pulled away from her. He turned and walked away without looking back. Grace tried following him but he stopped her almost instantly.  
" Stay here, Grace," he said. " Stay."  
Grace turned around and reluctantly walked back to Tanhì. She whimpered for a little then quieted down.  
Norm gave one last glance at Tanhì and Grace then began climbing. 


End file.
